Acute vs. Sub Acute vs. Chronic Tinnitus (+ Plasticity Game)

I'm curious about some stuff here, and it seems that there is no solid information regarding this.

I've read that at the Tinnitus Research Initiative (I'm seriously thinking of donating to these folks... the quality of research I've read out of them since their inception is leaps and bounds better than what the ATA has provided in the 40 or so years it's existed) are in the process of creating a database to record tinnitus information about patient cases (this is huge!).

Acute Tinnitus is <90 days.

It seems sub-acute tinnitus is 90<x<180 days.

And chronic tinnitus is >365 days.

Why this distinction in the medical community thus far? Are there lots of documented cases of tinnitus changing at intervals or peoples' tinnitus lessening at those intervals? Or is that a timeline that revolves more around the likelihood of the sufferer habituating to it? I'm about 32 days into an onset of a slight worsening of my tinnitus and I'm just wondering about the ability of things to clear up. I've been doing this plasticity game in the hopes that it will help "re-train" my brain for about 20 minutes a day. It's worth a shot I suppose.

Not sure if this belongs in research, admin can move it if he or she feels a better place for it.

edit* link to the plasticity game. Kind of fun actually. Plus it helps if you think you're being "proactive" about your condition.

http://blog.szynalski.com/2012/08/19/plasticity/

 

I've noticed that after using plasticity(for only a little bit), I've been less preoccupied by my tinnitus.

 

Mar 24 73,250 Lvl 7
Mar 25 120,250 Lvl 8
Mar 26 118,250 Lvl 7
Mar 27 179,250 Lvl 8

It looks like my auditory cortex is being rewired

 

It can't hurt... it's like giving your ears a workout. And your auditory cortex. I keep the volume way low, so that it stresses my hearing to try and discern between the pitches. Like I said, I think it can only really help. I doubt there's any chance of worsening our condition in any way. Plus, it gives you the feeling that you're being proactive and that you may have some inkling of influence over your condition, other than watching your salt intake and consuming a mountain of supplements.

 

The meaning of habituation... this has been touched on by many in here and it is often interpreted differently.

I'm going with Jastreboff's explanation below which explains that, although the process of habituation involves a period when we can hear it but we don't care about it too much, the end result of habituation is that we do not hear it anymore - even if listened for:

Habituation of reaction and perception...
The presence of any continuous stimulus usually results in a process called habituation, whereby the individual responds less and less to the stimulus as long as it does not have any special negative meaning. The final stage in this process is when the signal is no longer detected, and cortical neurones are unresponsive. With tinnitus this means that it is no longer heard, even if it is listened for.

I'm currently going through the process of habituation but I still expect to reach the end result.... tinnitus free.

This is why I try not to mask (although at times I have to)... if my brain can hear it and I don't treat it as a negative... then eventually I will no longer hear it.


[optimistic click]

 

Very true Erik... when we don't care about it anymore then obviously it won't matter to us and it will be excellent.

But Jastreboff's theories are the ones that have made the most sense to me ever since this horrid thing began so I'm still hoping that the theory above is correct. I don't like to say it... because tomorrow my T may be screaming again... and yesterday it was screechy... but I am getting more and more hours when I can't hear it even if I listen for it... so the theory fits with my experience so far. We can only apply all these things to our own experience I suppose.

I'm still believing the 'completely gone at end of habituation' theory but, as you say, it doesn't make a lot of difference in the end if you no longer care about having it.

 

I spoke to Jastreboff personally and he indicated my T would go away didn't say how long it would take but after telling him when and how mine started he seemed pretty optimistic - well it's been a year and a half and it's still here - better but still here - the TMJ is so much better though - read somewhere it could take up to two years to get better with TMJ problems - I'm wondering if I didn't do some permanent damage

 

My ENT Consultant said the same thing to me - that it would go but it would take a long time. He seemed to indicate that it does depend on what caused it in the first place .... but didn't expand on that!

I'm giving mine 2 years Chicken. Based on the progress so far. I know I may be wrong but I still believe And if it hasn't gone then it should at least be better than it is...

 

you guys give me so much hope and to all of us out there whose T didn't start with hearing loss - keep your chin up - for those whose T comes from hearing loss - keep your chin up too

 

As soon as I permanently cannot hear it anymore.. even when listening for it.. I'll come back and tell you all too

 

nearly doubled my score on plasticity. at least if it doesn't relieve my tinnitus, I'll be a world-class tone perceiver.

 

That's actually very useful for matching T. I'm always guessing, like between 4 and 8 hz. That's not useful. But at least I have audiograms, which also evidence where your T zone exists.